


interviewer (scent of chamomile)

by mellowie



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Caretaking, Cyborgs, Destruction of Earth, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hopeful Ending, Humanity, M/M, One Shot, a bit of angst?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 16:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28851915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellowie/pseuds/mellowie
Summary: Friendly aliens are trying to help Xiaojun, the sole survivor of an Earth catastrophe, regain his memories. But why should Xiaojun remember the past when he feels so alone in the universe?The answer comes in the form of an enigmatic but elegant cyborg, Doyoung.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Comments: 10
Kudos: 24
Collections: Challenge #4 — Awaken The World





	interviewer (scent of chamomile)

**Author's Note:**

> ahhh xiaodo! crumbs! I was delighted by this round cos it meant I could finally get to write the two of them hehe 🥰💞 (also couldn't find a better title so it'll make do for now haha)

Two pairs of keen amber eyes peered at Xiaojun, waiting for him to move the spoon with the wobbly jelly-like substance to his pursed lips.

Xiaojun glanced at the aliens by his bedside, creatures who had introduced themselves as Kun and Sicheng, knowing it would be impolite to refuse. He gulped. After miraculously surviving the horrors of Earth’s catastrophe, surely eating whatever the aliens had offered, even if it was the most pernicious poison, couldn’t be anything worse than death.

That was why it didn’t come as a surprise when Xiaojun nearly retched on the first bite.

Sticking his tongue out, he pushed the buttons on the panel next to his bed with intense desperation as though his mouth was on fire. The tap that continuously flowed warm water appeared on command at once, much to his immense relief.

“Well? How is it?” Sicheng asked, bouncing on his webbed feet.

“It’s...salty,” Xiaojun croaked, putting the experience in the best way he could. Kun’s wide eyes darted to Sicheng, who was smiling sheepishly.

“Did you mix up salt and sugar again?” Kun frowned, his face turning a dark shade of purple which Xiaojun guessed was a tell-tale sign of his annoyance. “I told you to use the pink powder, not the red one!”

“But they looked the same,” Sicheng insisted, his ears pricking up in defense. “And when I sampled it, it tasted fine to me! I didn’t know humans have such low salt tolerance…”

Xiaojun wasn’t paying attention; he was busy grabbing his cup and rinsing his mouth with water to wash down the stringent aftertaste.

Water had become an invaluable resource after the destruction of planet Earth, a harrowing nightmare that flashed in scattered pieces each time he closed his eyes. When Xiaojun was first found by Kun, alone, dazed and parched, he let the strange creature take him away without resistance.

The next time his eyes opened, he found himself on a bed within a building known as the Station. He remembered how surprised he was then to receive an endless supply of water from a simple press of a button.

How the aliens procured water or what the geography was like in the world outside his room, Xiaojun didn’t know. He knew vaguely that the Station was drifting somewhere in space, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly which part of it, or how far he was from the remains of Earth. He decided to find another time to ask after his tongue had recovered.

“Forgive our error, we were attempting to make you this treat called ‘pudding’ after we came across a scavenged recipe from Earth,” Kun bowed in apology to Xiaojun. “We will be sure to bring you a more delectable breakfast next time.”

“Oh no, it’s alright!” Xiaojun waved his hands, partly because he felt bad making them do things for him, and also because he was terrified of what they would serve him next. “Thank you for your hospitality. If you hadn’t brought me here, I wouldn’t have lasted long on my own. That’s why you don’t have to go out of your way to make me feel at home...“

_Because there is no home left for me._

He trailed off, lapsing into a cold silence. The cruel reality weighed on his chest and carved out a void. Earth was gone. He was alone, small and helpless, in the face of the universe. Xiaojun wondered with shaky breaths if he could ever recuperate from the ordeal, or at the very least, feel hope again.

“Of course we will do our best to look after you,” Kun smiled, returning to a cool shade of blue. “You are a very precious human being. As such, your health is of top priority to us.”

“That’s right! Don’t worry, you can rely on us,” Sicheng chirped. Xiaojun managed a wry smile in response. He appreciated their reassurance, yet he couldn’t help but lower his eyes. No matter how amiable the aliens treated him, or how well he may adjust to his new environment, he knew deep down he could never be truly able to confide in them.

It was a simple but painful observation. The more time he spent with the aliens, the more their lack of experience with humankind became apparent. Despite the goodwill of Sicheng and Kun, they just weren't sharp enough to pick up on or relate to human nuances. The increasing gulf between their species drove Xiaojun to retreat deeper into solitude. He had never thought much about the warmth of human connections until it was gone.

“Now, why don’t you sit back and relax for your daily examination?” Kun continued. “It is important that you are in good condition. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”

Leaving the rest of the jelly untouched on his plate, Xiaojun nodded and did as told. He leaned back against the pillow and held still, initiating the routine.

Kun performed meticulous steps such as taking his temperature, checking his vitals, and measuring his heartbeat. Meanwhile, Sicheng hovered around, engaging in small talk to occupy him through the mundane procedure. Xiaojun went along with flow, though in truth, he barely had any interest in the conversation. The trivial subjects never ventured far beyond his room.

Nevertheless, Sicheng helped to brighten the atmosphere. His quirkiness reminded Xiaojun of a certain human on Earth. Someone who was always sticking by Xiaojun’s side and dragging him into various shenanigans. Someone who was reckless and hard to pin down at times, yet fought to protect him until the last moment.

Yangyang. Of all things lost to him, Xiaojun missed his friend the most. But at the sound of his name, Xiaojun felt his heart breaking.

“...no change in blood pressure… no abnormalities detected. Everything seems fine...” Kun was saying as he typed on the panel that hosted a range of buttons, including for water. He finished his inspection and stepped back to whisper in Sicheng’s ear. Left to his own devices, Xiaojun played around with the buttons, testing what sort of strange commands they executed.

One button controlled the colour of the lights, another made his pillow fluffier, and so on. There was no button for an exit. According to Kun, Xiaojun wasn’t allowed to leave his designated room until he was evaluated as ready. He sighed, discerning that there was still a long way for him to go before he could take a step outside.

“Great news, Xiaojun! You have been in excellent condition for the past week,” Sicheng said. “Seeing your improvement in health, have you perhaps recalled anything about Earth thus far?”

It was an innocuous question, yet Xiaojun felt dread creeping under his skin.

“Do you recall anything about your life? Friends? Family? Details of the catastrophe, even the slightest?” Kun asked with a touch of urgency. “Anything at all would be of tremendous help, for your own sake.”

Xiaojun turned away. He did remember something. The image of Yangyang’s usually grinning face that was now contorted in agony, body engulfed in flames that licked the edges of the Earth.

“ _Xiaojun, swear to me,”_ Yangyang’s desperate voice pierced through the depths of his mind. “ _No matter what alien lifeforms or humans you meet, you will never tell what you know. Swear that you will trust no one but yourself._ ”

What happened after was a piece of memory he would do anything to forget.

The aliens leaned towards him, more eager than they were when they fed him the jelly. They wanted to know. For Xiaojun was not only a survivor, but a witness to the near-annihilation of the human race. 

“I...can’t remember anything,” Xiaojun said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

No matter how hard they try, he resolved to keep his lips sealed. He decided that he couldn’t trust them just yet. Thankfully, the aliens were unable to read human expressions easily and therefore quick to take him for his word, much to his advantage.

“No need to apologise! While it’s unfortunate that there has been little progress with your memory recovery, you don’t have to worry,” Sicheng beamed with an uncanny enthusiasm. “There’s someone we know who can help you even more than we can. Someone quite special.”

Xiaojun blinked. What was going on? He wasn’t aware that they were bringing someone in new today. No one besides Kun and Sicheng had been to his room all this time. It made him rather anxious, not being able to predict their next moves.

“Yes, he travelled a long way to see you, despite running into a few inconveniences,” Kun added. “I’m certain he will prove to be of great help to you, given his...unusual nature.”

Unbeknownst to himself, Xiaojun’s hands were clenched into tight fists. What did they know of his grief? How could anyone in this vast, foreign world understand him? Feeling slightly petulant at this sudden turn of events, he turned on his side away from Kun and Sicheng.

“I’m not feeling so well right now,” Xiaojun strained his voice for effect. “I’m going to take a nap.”

Feigning exhaustion, Xiaojun squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted Kun and Sicheng to take a hint and leave him alone. His wish came true as the room went quiet for a while. A silence which, as though on cue, was soon broken by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Footsteps that echoed across the floor with a steady pause in-between while Kun and Sicheng glided. Footsteps that sounded eerily human, yet not quite.

Wait… _Human?_

Xiaojun jolted straight up from the bed, chest heaving at what he thought he was hearing. The figure that entered the room was curved and lissom, raven-coloured hair catching under the light. A dark suit hugged his body such that Xiaojun wasn’t sure if it was a part of his skin or a piece of clothing.

Oh, right. His body.

If Xiaojun didn’t know better, he would have thought it was a magnificent work of art. The figure bore the silhouette of a human, but the longer Xiaojun gaped, the more he realized how the suit had a glossy, metallic finish.

He looked up and their eyes met. It was like electricity.

“Xiaojun, meet Doyoung,” Sicheng gestured warmly to the newcomer. “From this day forward, he will be here as your personal Interviewer.”

⇆ ⇆ ⇆

 _Interviewer_ , Sicheng had said before he left the room with Kun. Xiaojun huffed. Doyoung was certainly not asking him any questions. He was sitting by the panel next to Xiaojun’s bed, cross-legged, eyes scanning the contents of his clipboard resting against his thigh. His extreme focus, as though Xiaojun was barely there, cast them into an interlude of quiet.

 _What’s up with him?_ Xiaojun wondered. Doyoung’s right hand was hidden by a glove, though his left hand was exposed. Even from a distance, Xiaojun could tell it was composed of mechanical parts. They allowed his fingers to be deft as they danced across the buttons on the panel, exuding a grace that entranced Xiaojun. Heart thumping, his eyes went from Doyoung’s inscrutable expression down to the glowing lines that ran across his abdomen.

There was no mistaking it. Doyoung was a cyborg.

But that meant that he was human before, right? What happened that led him to become like that? Did it...hurt? Questions spun in his mind. Xiaojun couldn’t grasp the advanced technology utilized to make Doyoung’s body function, but he marvelled at it the way he marvelled at the stars on the grounds of Earth. With an innocent drop of awe and a dose of apprehension, especially now that he encountered one up-close.

“You’re staring,” Doyoung said without looking up. His terse comment took Xiaojun aback. Not only because it was the first words Doyoung had uttered, but also because the tone of his voice was surprisingly melodious. It carried an undertone of gentleness, despite his somewhat impassive appearance. Xiaojun’s cheeks flushed a bright red.

“Sorry,” he muttered softly, averting his gaze at once. Everything else in the room was an endless sea of white. Dull and empty. He forced himself to stare down at the sheets, which were undoubtedly far less interesting and only made him grow more self-conscious by the minute.

“I didn’t say I minded. Your curiosity was as I had expected, after all,” Doyoung glanced sidelong at the flustered human, a slight smile forming on his lips. “If you wish to have a closer look, just ask.”

“I-It’s fine, I just...” Xiaojun spoke slowly, resorting to his habit of choosing his words carefully when nervous. “I’ve never met a cyborg before.” He definitely would have choked from embarrassment if he added how fascinating he thought Doyoung looked.

“You probably wouldn’t have if you’ve been on Earth your whole life,” Doyoung said calmly. He ceased typing on the panel to face the boy directly. “I’ve finished collecting and filtering through your data. According to the numbers, you’ve been neglecting your recommended exercises. That’s no good.”

Doyoung tapped his clipboard with his glowing pen. Despite voicing his disapproval, his tone was not stern but gentle, like how one would chastise a child. Xiaojun shifted in his bed, trying to compose himself, and found it easier this time to look away.

“What’s the point of doing exercises? Kun and Sicheng said I was fine,” Xiaojun furrowed his brows. “Besides, aren’t you supposed to be asking me questions? There’s nothing I can answer you, anyway. Like I’ve said, I don’t remember much about my past.”

“I prefer leaving the questions for later,” Doyoung said, retaining his cool demeanour. “I didn’t mention what kind I will be asking either. I could have asked for your favourite type of cake for all you know.”

Xiaojun couldn’t find a reply. As it turned out, much to his disbelief, Doyoung might be even harder to comprehend than the aliens.

“Right now, your body may be in stable condition. But as all human bodies are, they are ultimately fragile,” Doyoung’s voice lowered for the first time. “I would encourage you to look after your health, Xiaojun. And consider telling the truth about what you remember.”

A shiver went down his spine. Xiaojun had a sharp intake of breath. It was as though Doyoung could pierce through his front and pick apart whatever was on his mind. Unlike Kun and Sicheng, there was barely anything he could hide from the cyborg’s sharp eye. _Damn it_ , Xiaojun wrapped his arms around his chest, feeling more vulnerable than ever. 

“...Why should I remember how awful it was to lose the ones I love all over again?” he gritted his teeth. “Yes, I remember my family and my friends. I remember growing up by the seaside, swimming, eating green tea cake before the Earth went down in flames. But I’m not lying, everything at that moment remains hazy. Pieces I’m struggling to fit together. But what does it matter? In the end, I’m still alone and…scared. Not knowing what happened or what will happen.”

He might come to regret it someday, revealing his fears like that. It was entirely against what he promised Yangyang. But attempting to confide in someone who carried at least a trace of humanity, perhaps all Xiaojun wanted was to have a bit of comfort. Like longing for a bite of green tea cake again, even if it may bite him back.

“Thank you for sharing that with me, Xiaojun,” Doyoung said after a considerate pause. “Trust me when I say I know how it feels to be alone in the universe. The burden of humanity is not yours to bear.”

At the cyborg’s words, Xiaojun slowly relaxed his shoulders. Doyoung helped to relieve the tightness in his chest, though it didn’t mean he could breathe any easier.

“In return, I shall impart with you a secret-”

Sensing a weight pressing down onto the bed, Xiaojun gazed up, and the next thing he knew, Doyoung was leaning over him. Blood rushed to his head at what was happening. Doyoung came close, so incredibly close that he thought he could hear a low humming sound. It was unlike anything he had heard before. Noticing Xiaojun’s puzzlement, Doyoung reached out to bring Xiaojun’s hand to his own metallic chest, and he discovered that it was the sound of the cyborg’s artificial heart.

“Doyoung? W-What are you…?”

Left with no defenses, Xiaojun felt powerless in his limbs. He probably should have done those exercises. Even so, he found it quite difficult to resist Doyoung’s hold. A scent of chamomile brushed his cheek and then came the soft whisper-

“You’re not the last human in the galaxy. Earth still exists. Your friends and family are far away, but most likely alive.”

Blank. His mind went utterly blank. He felt paralysed, just like the time when he saw the scene of the catastrophe.

“For now, pretend you have trouble recovering your memories. It might buy you some time, though not for long,” Doyoung continued. He eyed the leftover jelly on the plate. “Kun and Sicheng mean well. I don't think they intend to harm you, but it will do you good to be more careful.”

Xiaojun couldn’t stop his voice from trembling. “Why are you helping me?”

“...I am unable to answer. But know one thing. I came to see you not out of a request, but of a personal interest. If you choose to do what I say, such as your exercises,” he reached out and poked Xiaojun’s cheek with a smile. “One day you might be able to escape this place on your own two feet. I look forward to your resolve, Xiaojun. Have a good day.”

Getting up from the bed, Doyoung flicked a final button on the panel and tucked the clipboard under his arm. With a sweeping motion, he turned and headed for the door. Xiaojun watched him leave, his heart pounding almost audibly, the scent of chamomile staying on the sheets, and his cheek.

⇆ ⇆ ⇆

**Author's Note:**

> oh goodness this was quite a tough but interesting challenge @-@ I had this little sci-fi idea brewing around for a while and the original path was a lot darker and moodier but I couldn't convey all the nuances within the word limit, plus I realized half-way through that I probably needed to make it more romantic 🤣 (also canon xiaojun is very ripped indeed haha i'll add that he got so dispirited here that he neglected his muscles sadly)
> 
> I wouldn't say this is my best work, but hope it was an alright read still! here's to hoping I contribute somewhat to the small xiaodo ship 😂


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